Case Study of Bog Hole, Jamaica: Building Capitals in
Disaster Through Local Knowledge
Tamika Peart1
1China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
Abstract: This paper details the qualitative analysis of data collected from the residents of Bog Hole, Clarendon in Jamaica in MarchMay, 2018 to answer the research questions of how did the local knowledge on disaster risk reduction strategies enhance the capital base of
this area and how does local knowledge contribute to poverty eradication in the studied area.

Spoken Communication Needs Analysis for
Information Desk Personnel
Suchatra Singaran1
Abstract: English is considered as the medium of communication in different social and professional context. It is important to have the
ability to communicate using the language in order to be successful in the job perspective. As in the customer service industry which is a part
of the business world, employees especially Information Desk Personnel are expected to have good communication skills as well as the ability
to use the language to perform their duties as required. The purpose of this study is to examine the spoken English Language needs and
challenges faced by Information Desk Personnel working in shopping malls in Malaysia. The main aim of this research is to conduct a needs
analysis of Information Desk Personnel in shopping malls, explore their needs, problems faced in terms of speaking skills and propose a course
design focusing on speaking skills. This study is a qualitative study complemented with quantitative findings in terms of frequency counts
and percentages. A total of 40 questionnaires were distributed to Information Desk personnel from three different shopping malls. To obtain
in-depth perception of the issue, 3 managers from the shopping malls were interviewed, 10 customers were chosen randomly to know their
views on this issue and an observation session was conducted by the researcher to get a clear picture of the scenario involved, focusing on the
communication between the Information Desk Personnel and customers. The key findings showed that the English language, especially
speaking skills is important for the Information Desk Personnel. The participants agreed that speaking is the major skill they use most in
their routine job and findings reveal that grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency are important aspects of their speaking skills.
This study incorporated the Target Situation Analysis (TSA), Present Situation Analysis (PSA) and Learning Situation Analysis (LSA) in
order to collect the information required. Recommendations on how to overcome some of the English Language challenges faced by
Information Desk Personnel working in shopping malls, particularly in Malaysia were included in Discussion (Chapter 5). Based on the
findings, a course designed was proposed to cater for the English language needs of Information Desk Personnel in shopping malls. The
results of the survey would help related organizations such as the Tourism Authority of Malaysia to design appropriate training of English to
meet the needs of Information Desk Personnel. Moreover, it is hoped that the study could also raise the awareness of learners’ needs, which
are important factors for designing the language course.